The Storm and the Rift
---
Rain pounded the metal roof of the signal tower like a thousand drumbeats, each one echoing through the bones of the solitary man inside. Daniel Reed rubbed his eyes and leaned back in the creaking swivel chair, eyes flicking between radar screens and storm warnings. Outside, the forest was a blur of shadows and streaking rain, the hilltop swallowed by mist and rolling thunder.
He was alone—just him and the storm—and that was how he liked it. Until the lightning struck.
It wasn't ordinary lightning. It came with a sound like the sky splitting open, a blinding white flash that swallowed the world. The surge hit the tower like a hammer, searing through metal, wires—and Daniel himself.
The pain was brief. Then came silence.
And when he opened his eyes, the world had changed.
The air was clearer, the sky a strange lavender hue, and the trees below weren't pine or oak—but twisted, towering things with leaves like glass and bark that shimmered with veins of silver. A distant castle shimmered on the horizon, and strange creatures circled it on leathery wings.
Daniel was no longer on his Earth.
---Scene: Awakening
The world returned in fragments.
Wind howling through broken wood. The scent of rain-soaked earth. A crackling fire. And a boy's voice—young, sharp, annoyed.
"…You alive or not?"
Daniel's eyes snapped open. Above him stood a kid—no older than eight—with messy black hair, oversized boots, and a battered iron sword strapped across his back. The boy looked like he'd been through war and come out with a smirk.
"You fell from the sky," the boy said flatly. "Or the gods tossed you like garbage. Either way, you landed on my roof."
Daniel sat up, muscles aching, vision swimming.
[SYSTEM ONLINE]
[Initializing AWI: Adaptive World Interface…]
[Status: Unknown Origin Detected]
[Passive Skill Activated: STAT LEECH]
[Caution: No limiter set. Strain risk: HIGH]
What the hell? Daniel thought.
Poker face: calm.
Internal monologue: chaos.
The boy watched him warily. "You remember anything?"
Daniel paused, then gave the best answer for a man dropped into a fantasy world with a floating blue screen only he could see.
"…No. Just flashes. Storm. Light. Then… nothing."
The kid sighed. "Great. Another amnesia case." He offered a hand. "Name's Riven. D-rank adventurer. You owe me a meal for patching you up."
Daniel accepted the hand and stood. A name. He needed a lie.
"…Call me Ash."
[Alias Accepted: Ash]
The system chimed again, quiet and invisible to all but him.
In the distance, a howl tore through the trees. Something large was hunting. Riven turned, already reaching for his sword.
"You can walk? Good. Because whatever that is… it's coming fast."
Daniel's eyes narrowed, heart hammering, as adrenaline surged through his veins—and the system flickered red.
[WARNING: HOSTILE APPROACHING. Stat Sync Imminent.]
[Emergency Boost Protocol: ON HOLD]
-----------
[STATUS SCREEN – DANIEL REED (Alias: Ash)]
Level: 1
Race: Unknown (??? – Not Registered in Grimore Database)
Class: None (Undiscovered)
Rank: Unranked
Title: None
Affinity: None
HP: 100 / 100
Stamina: 85 / 100
Strength: 12
Agility: 10
Endurance: 9
Intelligence: 15
Perception: 13
Willpower: 18
Unique Passive:
[Stat Leech] – Automatically steals 50% of the opponent's stats during combat. Cannot be deactivated or controlled. Excessive intake can damage the body.
System Traits:
• [System Core: Adaptive World Interface (AWI)]
• [Combat Sync Alerts | Warning System | Emergency Boost Protocols]
• [Stealth Mode: System visibility hidden from all external detection/magic scans]
---
[STATUS SCREEN – RIVEN VALLON]
Level: 8
Race: Human
Class: Swordsman
Rank: D+
Title: Orphan of Ironvale
Affinity: Wind (Basic)
HP: 320 / 320
Stamina: 240 / 240
Strength: 28
Agility: 34
Endurance: 22
Intelligence: 13
Perception: 25
Willpower: 19
Skills:
• [Quick Step – Lv. 3] – Instantly dash short distances with enhanced evasion.
• [Piercing Slash – Lv. 2] – A fast, armor-piercing sword thrust.
• [Iron Nerve – Passive] – Reduces fear and mental interference.
Equipment:
• Rusted Iron-Edge Sword (D-Rank)
• Leather-Scale Vest (C-Rank)
• Basic Adventurer's Badge (D Rank – Guild Registered)